Copper Door has grand opening at its new location in Salem

Great New Hampshire Restaurants celebrated the grand opening Tuesday of its second Copper Door. (MELISSA PROULX/UNION LEADER CORRESPONDENT)

The Copper Door on South Broadway replaces the former Weathervane location in town. (MELISSA PROULX/UNION LEADER CORRESPONDENT)

SALEM — Great New Hampshire Restaurants celebrated the grand opening Tuesday of its second Copper Door, extending the reach of the company’s upscale brand.

More than two dozen people gathered on a drizzly afternoon for the ceremony, including many town officials. Gov. Chris Sununu said the restaurant marked just one of the positive economic gains coming to Salem.

“This entire area is going to be completely transformed in the next couple of years,” Sununu said.

The new Salem restaurant sits at 41 S. Broadway, which was the home of the Weathervane Seafood Restaurant. Great NH Restaurants tore down the existing restaurant that served patrons for more than three decades and built a new 8,300-square-foot Copper Door, which opened a couple of weeks ago.

There are 225 seats spread out between two private dining rooms, an outdoor patio and a bar area. The Copper Door, which debuted in Bedford in 2011, serves upscale new American and upscale comfort foods, along with wine, beer and cocktails.

“The Copper Door is tasteful, but not pretentious,” said Tom Boucher, owner and CEO of Great NH Restaurants, which also operates several T-Bones and Cactus Jack’s restaurants.

The original Copper Door’s success — sales have been growing about 10 percent each year, according to Boucher — served as the catalyst for opening the Salem location, which employs about 200 workers.

Donna Morris, president of the Great Salem Chamber of Commerce, said she’s already been a patron at the new location and is thrilled to have them in the community.

“The food was fantastic,” she said to Boucher. “I’m sure you’re going to do well.”

The restaurant is open seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to just past midnight.